Eurowings starts operating Malta route

Malta International Airport (MIA) this morning welcomed the first flight to Malta from Vienna by German airline Eurowings, addinfg that the flight by the first new airline for 2017 was welcomed with a traditional water salute upon arrival.

Eurowings, it said, will be operating morning flights to Vienna every Tuesday and Sunday until October, strengthening MIA’s existent connection with the Austrian capital.

The airline is a fully owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group and will replace Germanwings following a rebrand. Moreover, the airline flies to over 130 destinations across Europe, and offers flights to a number of long-haul destinations such as the Caribbean and Bangkok.

“Occasions such as this, reward our year-long efforts to secure better connectivity for the Maltese islands. Working in close cooperation with the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority is crucial to attracting new airlines to Malta and developing a more convenient flight schedule for our ever-increasing number of passengers,” said MIA CEO Alan Borg.

This was echoed by tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis who said that the “very positive performance” in tourism so far this year brings with it optimism about attaining the country’s tourism objectives for the current year, adding that the collaboration with MIA will continue to be enhanced and strengthened.

“Given our almost total dependence on air travel for our tourism influx, the role of Malta International Airport in the current tourism success story is pivotal,” said the minister.  

Malta Tourism Authority CEO Paul Bugeja also welcomed the commencement of services by Eurowings from Vienna, and expressed his confidence that the nation’s connectivity enhancing strategy, under the direction of the Tourism Ministry, and executed in partnership with MIA, will continue to yield positive results for the tourism industry and the Maltese economy at large.